Advanced Engineering Consultants to open Virginia Beach Office

Advanced Engineering Consultants, a certified woman-owned company based in Columbus, Ohio, will open an office at 249 Central Park Ave. in Virginia Beach this summer. The company, which specializes in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and technology engineering design services, plans to hire four full-time employees immediately and nine more during the next 30 months.

According to an announcement Tuesday from the city’s office of economic development, average wages for the jobs will be $83,200 excluding benefits.

Advanced Engineering Consultants, started in 1998, has been included in the 2012 Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies in Central Ohio. Its president and senior electric engineer, Lisa Huang, was a National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Columbus 2012 Visionary Finalist.

The company has a staff of 42 engineers and an additional office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current clients include Ohio State University, Ohio University, Indiana University and several government agencies.

The Virginia Beach Development Authority has approved an Economic Development Investment Program grant in the amount of $35,000 based on the number of jobs created in the city.

In another business expansion, Cataldo Builders, a commercial and residential builder based in Virginia Beach, plans to open a new office/warehouse at 1632 Virginia Beach Blvd. in the city’s Hilltop section. The 6,000-square-foot office/warehouse will be complete in the fall and is more than two times the size of the company’s current location.

Anthony R. Cataldo II, president of Cataldo Builders, said in a news release that the capital investment in the land and building is $1.5 million.

The city’s Economic Development Authority has approved an Economic Development Investment Program grant in the amount of $30,000 based on Cataldo’s investment.

“Cataldo Builders’ growth aligns with the department’s goal to recruit and retain office headquarters and to stimulate growth in the Hilltop Strategic Growth Area,” Warren Harris, director of Virginia Beach Economic Development, said in a statement.